CSA Week 12: August 23-27

It certainly seems like the summer is drawing to a close. The nights are getting cooler, the days are getting shorter, some of the leaves are just beginning to pick up some color, and gradually the farm crew is beginning to leave for school, jobs, and other pursuits. This is my second fall of not going "back to school" and while I certainly recognize the time of year, I think relief might be a more accurate word to describe my feelings than nostalgia ... Instead of school, my mind turns to the colder months of the year and a desire to preserve some of the tastes of summer to enjoy during the winter. Over the past few weeks here at the farm, we've begun the process of freezing and canning all the vegetables we can so that we can enjoy them year-round. We've been busy canning and freezing tomato sauce, freezing pesto, salsa, tomatoes, peppers, and we'll start freezing corn soon. So because I didn't get a chance to take a picture of any of the animals this week I'll take a break from introducing an animal and because most of the vegetables in the shares this week are familiar, instead of listing new recipes, I'll post some suggestions of how to preserve these vegetables so that you can eat them year round (instead of all right now; we realize you might be getting a little tired of tomatoes ....)

This week's share (click to enlarge):


Preserving Tips: Just a quick note, most of these will involve freezing vegetables. It's the method that I've had the most success with and I have plenty of freezer space available to me (the biggest issue most people have with freezing). I prefer freezing to canning when it comes to things like Tomato Sauce and Salsa because I like to play around with different recipes. When canning vegetables it is very important to follow tried and true canning recipes to ensure that the level of acidity in the product that you are canning is high enough to kill off harmful bacteria that can cause Botulism. Freezing works for me but if you prefer canning or are limited by freezer space, then check out canning (tomato puree in particular is especially easy to can).

Zucchini: This might be a little late as our zucchini are fading away but zucchini and summer squash can be pureed and frozen for use in soups or they can be grated for later use in baked goods (zucchini bread, muffins, etc.)

Corn: Frozen corn has been a revelation to me here at the farm. I arrived here a recent convert to the deliciousness of absolutely fresh sweet corn but had never tasted any frozen corn that I wanted to eat again. If you're not going to eat your corn the day you receive it (or maybe the next), try freezing it to preserve it for mid-winter. To freeze corn, blanch on or off the cob for 3-5 minutes, rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process, and drain. Store in an freezer bag and reheat in some water if necessary when you're ready to serve it.

Peppers: Peppers are extremely easy to freeze. Simply rinse and seed them, then slice them up thinly and put them on a cookie and freeze them overnight. Then store them in a freezer and take what you need when you're ready. Frozen peppers are best for cooking as they retain their flavor but not all of their texture when frozen. Peppers also can be incorporated into Tomato Sauce or Salsa to freeze. I'm not going to include a specific sauce or salsa recipe here but you can find many online if you want a specific recipe. I never really follow a recipe but for sauce I just usually saute some onion and garlic and add a bunch of chopped tomatoes and a pepper or 2 along with some chopped fresh basil (and maybe some eggplant or fennel if there's some lying around). Let it simmer for a little while until I like the consistency and then freeze it in old yogurt-type containers. For salsa, I do pretty much the same thing except I don't cook anything. I just mix together some chopped peppers, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and maybe a little salt, lemon juice, and cumin. Give it a taste and adjust according to how it tastes. Then freeze in some airtight plastic containers.

Tomatoes: Tomatoes can be frozen just as you would peppers. Simply rinse them off, cut out the core and any bad spots, slice them up and place on a cookie sheet in the freezer overnight. Then transfer to a freezer bag for the long-term. Like peppers, frozen tomatoes are best when cooked. And of course, tomatoes are a pretty key ingredient for Tomato sauce and salsa.

Beans: To freeze beans, blanch in boiling water for two minutes, rinse in cold water to stop cooking process, drain and store in a freezer bag. Simply reheat with a little water if necessary.

Garlic: Just a quick note about garlic (even though it's not in this week's share) as there have been a few questions. The garlic you have been receiving recently has been dried so it does not need to be refrigerated (it has only been drying for a few weeks so it will be much fresher and juicier than the garlic you would get at the store). The garlic probably is somewhat dirty and the best way to deal with this is to peel the cloves you want to use and then rinse them off. Otherwise simply use (and store) this garlic as you would any garlic you got from the store.

That's all for this week from me. But this would be a great week to share any ideas, recipes, thoughts you have for preserving some of the vegetables that you don't immediately eat. Does freezing work for you or do you prefer the long-term convenience of canning? Whatever it is, it'd be great to hear your ideas!

Have a good one!

CSA Week 9: August 2-6

What a strange year it's been weather-wise. First it hits 90 in the beginning of May, now late July feels like fall. The cooler weather definitely makes it a little nicer to work in the fields, though. The vegetables still are coming strong, though, and unfortunately so are the weeds. It seems like this year has been an especially bad one for weeds. The combination of rain and heat has resulted in a real explosion of them. But we're doing our best to stay on top of them ...

This week I'll introduce you to Odin, the big white dog who sort of looks like a polar bear. Odin is one of the most popular figures here at the farm; it seems like if there's one thing that people remember about the farm when they visit, it's Odin. Last summer, a writer from Vogue stayed with us for a week and wrote (quite briefly) about her experience for the magazine. Odin was the only being from the farm whose picture made the cut. Odin is a Maremma, a breed of livestock guardian dogs that originated in Italy. He came to the farm as a puppy 3 years ago to help protect the chickens and generally has done a good job (although we did have a problem with a fox earlier this spring). I'm sure anyone who has met Odin finds it funny to think of him as any sort of guard dog as he spends most of his time lounging around the farm. Usually you can tell where he is by the loud snores that he emits! Hopefully you've had a chance to meet Odin; while he certainly is big, he's also one of the friendliest dogs I've ever met!

This week's share:
(If it's difficult to read, click the picture to enlarge)


Preparation Tips/Recipes:

Pan-Cooked Summer Greens

1 to 2 bunches Swiss chard or Kale, washed, dried and cut into thin strips, stalks discarded
1 tbs olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced (scallions can substitute here)
2 tbs soy suace
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Steam greens until bright, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain. Immediately immerse greens in a bowl of ice water for 30 seconds and drain again. Set the cooled greens aside.
2. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 7 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Add the greens and toss gently to combine well. Continue to cook for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the amount of greens.
3. Add soy sauce, and salt and pepper. Gently toss ingredients and cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat and serve at once.

Recipe from Half Pint Farm courtesy of Dishing Up Vermont

Stuffed Zucchini
Play around with stuffing zucchini to see what you like the best. Here's a recipe from our CSA cookbook, From Asparagus to Zucchini
6 or 7 medium zucchini
3 tbs butter
1 small onion, chopped (a couple scallions would work too)
1 large clove garlic, chopped
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
3/4 cup greshly grated Parmesan cheese
4 teasppons fresh sweet marjoram
1/4 cup fresh parsley
salt & pepper to taste
2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 375. Wash zucchini, cut off and discard ends and steam until just tender. Cool. Split lengthwise, scoop out pulp (reserve), turn upside down and let drain. Mash pulp. Heat butter in skillet, add onion and garlic, and saute until softened. Add squash pulp, bread crumbs, 1/2 cup of the cheese, herbs and seasonings. Add eggs and cook until mixture thickens. Stuff into zucchini shells, top with remaining cheese and place in a buttered casserole. Bake until browned, 20-25 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature. Makes 6-8 servings.

Kohlrabi, Corn, and Tomato Saute
4 cups diced kohlrabi
2 tbs butter
1 cup corn kernels
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1 tbs minced fresh parsley
1/2 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper

Blanch or steam the kohlrabi until tender crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Melt the butter in a large saute pan, and saute the corn, tomatoes, scallions, garlic, parsley, and chili powder for 2 minutes. Add the kohlrabi and saute for another 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

From the Joy of Gardening Cookbook

That's all for this week. As always, please send along any favorite recipes you may have. Or just post them in the comments section!

Have a good one!

CSA Week 8: July 26-30

The harvest season continues to heat up here at Luna Bleu and you all are seeing it in your shares this week as we are beginning to get overwhelmed with squash, cucumbers, and tomatoes. This always is a tricky time of year since we spend so much time harvesting that we sometimes can fall behind on other things (weeding, clipping up tomatoes, etc.). We're doing our best to stay on top of it all, though, and so far we've avoided being overwhelmed at least.

Several weeks ago, I had a plan to introduce you guys to some of the animals on the farm (since many of them have names), a different one each week. At the time, I introduced Flo, the older of the 2 sows we have here on the farm, and since pigs are by far my favorite animals here this week, I'll introduce you to Randy, one of Flo's daughters from last year and our second sow. Randy was born last March along with 5 other piglets. She was given the name Randy after I got here last June. Flo had 6 piglets last year and when I got here I just assumed, based on the way they acted that they were all male. I simply didn't consider the possibility that any of them could be female and so they all were given male names. I was pretty embarrassed when I finally found out that actually only 2 of them were male. The name Randy had stuck, though, and so that's how we ended up with a sow named Randy (and yes, it's Randy with a "y", not an "i"). Randy was by far the biggest of the females and she had a good temperament so we decided to keep her to become a sow. She had her first litter on the last day of May. She gave birth to 10 piglets but 1 didn't make it so we were left with 9 (4 boys and 5 girls), a good number for her first litter (pigs generally have 8-12 piglets per litter). Randy has been a great mother. She was quite protective during the first week but has mellowed out since then and her piglets are growing quite fast. Randy is quite social; she always greets me with a grunt whenever I walk by and she really enjoys having her back scratched. Hopefully you've had a chance to meet Randy if you've stopped by the farm and if not, find one of us the next time you're here and we'll introduce you to her.


Randy with her piglets the week after they were born.

Randy and her piglets this afternoon. It's really amazing how fast they've grown!

This week's share:


Preparation Tips and Recipes:


Gazpacho - This refreshing soup is simple to prepare, uses many ingredients from your share is week and will help cool you off on a hot day.

4 cups cold tomato juice
1 small, well-minced onion
2 cups freshly diced tomatoes
1 cup minced green pepper
1 tsp. honey
1 diced cucumber
2 scallions, chopped
1 clove crushed garlic
juice of 1/2 lemon and 1 lime
2 tbs wine vinegar
1 tsp each, basil and tarragon
dash, ground cumin
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
dash, tabasco sauce
2 tbs olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients, and chill for at least 2 hours. (This soup can be pureed, if desired).

Recipe from the Moosewood Cookbook.

Chilled Cucumber-Yogurt Soup -

4 cups peeled, seeded, chopped cucumber
2 cups water
2 cups yogurt
1 clove garlic
1 tbs honey
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dill weed
several fresh mint leaves (optional)
chopped scallions or chives (optional)

Puree everything together in a blender, saving the scallions to garnish. Chill and serve very cold.

Another recipe from the Moosewood Cookbook.

Zucchini-Feta Pancakes - This is another Moosewoood recipe and is one of Suzanne's staples during zucchini season and is another great way to use zucchini.

4 packed cups coarsely grated zucchini
4 eggs, separated
1 heaping cup finely- crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup minced scallions or onions
3/4 tsp. dried mint
salt and black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup flour
butter for frying
sour cream or yogurt for topping

Place the grated zucchini in a colander in a bowl, salt it lightly and let it stand for 15 minutes. Rinse it, and squeeze out all excess water.

Combine squeezed zucchini, egg yolks, feta, scallions, flour, and spices. Mix well.

Beat the eggwhites until they form soft peaks. Fold into first mixture.

Fry in butter, on both sides, until golden and crisp. Serve topped with sour cream or yogurt.

Pasta Primavera - This is a very versatile recipe that I often make during the summer. You can adapt to whatever vegetables you have/like the best.

Pasta
Tomatoes, cut into chunks
Peppers, sliced
Broccoli, sliced
Zucchini/summer squash, sliced thinly
Garlic, minced
Onions, sliced
Basil/Oregano, chopped
Cream
White Wine
Parmesan Cheese

Cook the pasta. Saute the onions and garlic in butter. Add the vegetables in the order of longest cooking time (I'd go broccoli, squash, peppers, then tomatoes). Add the white wine after you add the broccoli. Sprinkle with the basil/oregano and Parmesan cheese. Add the cream and reduce. When the sauce is a good consistency, combine with the pasta and serve with more Parmesan.

CSA Week 7: July 19-23

Tomatoes! We've been harvesting tomatoes for a couple weeks now. It started slowly at first and we didn't really have enough for all the CSA members, so we brought them to the farmers' markets. The heat of the past couple weeks has made a huge difference for the tomatoes, though, and the harvest really picked up toward the end of last week. That means that we've got enough tomatoes for everyone this week! Most of them will be regular red slicing tomatoes, but there are a few of the heirlooms mixed in too. This week you'll also be getting the first garlic of the season. This fresh garlic is quite juicy and is especially great raw (in salads, mixed with olive oil for dipping bread, etc.).

The end of last week also saw the completion of our new wood-fired pizza oven. Many thanks to Maggie's friend, Tyler, who's biking around the state this summer building ovens at different farms; it would not have happened without him (or Maggie). We're hoping to fire the oven up sometime later this week.

Tyler, Olmo, and Remi mixing the clay, sand, and straw for the final layer.

The finished oven; ready to be fired up!

This week's share:


Preparation Tips/Recipes:

Fennel - Fennel has a flavor similar to licorice and is popular in Italian cooking. Usually only the bulb is eaten but the feathery leaves can be used as an herb, similar to how you would use dill (to which fennel is related). Fennel is good raw, sliced thinly, and tossed into a salad. You also can add it to a saute of zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, and garlic. I sometimes add it to tomato sauce to add another level of flavor (the main seasoning of italian sausage is fennel seed). Here at the farm, we most often have fennel grilled. Simply slice the bulb in half lengthwise (or quarter it) and toss it with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Here are a couple other ideas for using the fennel in your share this week (courtesy of the Joy of Gardening Cookbook):

Fennel Broccoli Saute

8 tbs water
3 cups julienne-sliced fresh fennel bulb
2 tbs olice oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups broccoli florets
3 tbs dry white wine
2 tbs lemon juice
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat the water in a large saute pan and add the fennel. Steam saute the fennel until the water disappears and the fennel is barely cooked (about 3 minutes). Add the oil, garlic, and broccoli and saute for 1 minute. Add the wine and steam saute the vegetables until the wine disappears and the broccoli is tender crisp (3-5 minutes). Sprinkle the lemon juice over the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper.

Cream of Fennel Soup

2 tbs butter
1 1/2 cups diced onion
4 1/2 chopped fresh fennel bulb
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup light cream
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper, to taste

In a large soup pot, melt the butter, and saute the onion until limp (3-5 minutes). Add the fennel and chicken broth. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the fennel is tender. Cool slightly
In a blender, puree two-thirds of the soup, return to the pot, and add the cream and milk. Cook until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Spicy Quinoa, Cucumber and Tomato Salad - Quinoa is a South American grain that I've been introduced to this summer by Jennifer, one of the other apprentices here. I'm really starting to like it and definitely will be incorporating it into more meals. This recipe comes again from The New York Times and is a great thing to try if you're looking for something different to do with all your cucumbers.

1 cup quinoa
3 cups water
Salt to taste
2 cups diced cucumber
1 small red onion, finely minced (optional)
2 cups finely diced tomatoes
1 to 2 jalapeño or serrano peppers (to taste), seeded if desired and finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, plus several sprigs for garnish
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 avocado, sliced, for garnish

1. Place the quinoa in a bowl, and cover with cold water. Let sit for five minutes. Drain through a strainer, and rinse until the water runs clear. Bring the 3 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add salt (1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon) and the quinoa. Bring back to a boil, and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until the quinoa is tender and translucent; each grain should have a little thread. Drain off the water in the pan through a strainer, and return the quinoa to the pan. Cover the pan with a clean dishtowel, replace the lid and allow to sit for 10 minutes. If making for the freezer, uncover and allow to cool, then place in plastic bags. Flatten the bags and seal.

2. Meanwhile, place the finely diced cucumber in a colander, and sprinkle with salt. Toss and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Rinse the cucumber with cold water, and drain on paper towels. If using the onion, place in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit for five minutes, then drain, rinse with cold water and drain on paper towels.

3. Combine the tomatoes, chiles, cilantro, vinegar, lime juice and olive oil in a bowl. Add the cucumber and onion, season to taste with salt, and add the quinoa and cilantro. Toss together, and taste and adjust seasonings. Serve garnished with sliced avocado and cilantro sprigs.

Yield: Serves six.

Advance preparation: The quinoa freezes well, and the assembled salad will keep for a day in the refrigerator. The leftovers will be good for a couple of days.

Zucchini - If you're looking to turn your zucchini into something a little sweeter, try Maggie's recipe for Zucchini Bread:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil (or melted butter)
2 1/4 cups white sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
3. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.


Do you have a favorite way to prepare fennel or a great zucchini bread recipe? Please pass it (or any other recipe) along, or just post it in the comments section.

Have a good one!

CSA Week 5: July 5-9

My apologies that I'm not posting this until Friday but it's been a pretty crazy week here at the farm. This late post probably won't help anyone all that much (the vegetables are pretty simple this week so I don't really have any preparation and recipe ideas) but at least there will be a little continuity here and I'll make sure stay on top of the blog from here on.

Summer certainly arrived in full force with the heat wave this week. The intense heat we had this week just makes it a little tougher on everyone, people and animals (especially the pigs who need mud to cool down since they don't sweat). This is the first week that we've been harvesting our field summer squash, zucchini and cucumbers. Up to now, the zucchini and cucumbers you've gotten have come from the greenhouse. The amount of squash and cucumbers from here on only should increase. The other big news here at the farm is that one of the other apprentices, Maggie, and her friend Tyler are spearheading the construction of a wood-fired earthen pizza oven here at the farm. They started work on it this past week and are hoping to finish it sometime next week so if you'd like to be involved in the construction of the oven, give us a call and come on out this week. In conjunction with this, we will be welcoming the NOFA pizza oven to the farm this coming Monday, July 12, for pizza, a farm tour, and a discussion about CSA's. Please join us!

And here's this week's share (just to spoil it for the people who haven't picked up their Friday share yet):


Preparation tips:
Summer squash and zucchini - Great sauteed with a some butter, garlic, salt/pepper and a little oregano. This also is a great week to simply throw all your vegetables (except the lettuce and cucumber) in a stir-fry.

Sorry again for the late (and rather brief) post. Next week I'll make sure to get back to regular Monday postings. Hope to see you Monday for the pizza and have a great weekend!